Unknown
by TVObssessedGirl28
Summary: Ethan's discovered he has tested positive for the gene. Cal has promised to support through this but, Ethan feels like he is going into the unknown by himself.
1. Chapter 1

The rain started to fell as the tears ran down his cheeks. At this moment his emotions were all over the place. His mum, his real mum had just died and he has found out that he has the gene. He had told a lie. A lie to protect his mum for feeling guilty. He didn't want her to die knowing that she had passed down the gene to one of her sons. So for the sake of protecting her, Ethan had lied. But know their mum was no longer with them he could no longer hide the truth. Slowly reopening the piece of paper that seemed like a death warrant to him he turned back around to face his brother. Cal's heart sank as Ethan turned to face him. There was something in his eyes that told the older brother something was wrong.

"What?" Cal asked his brother.

Ethan was too speechless to speak. He couldn't form the words to tell Cal the news. Instead he handed the paper over to him. Cal shakily grabbed it from Ethan's hand and scanned the letters. It was there in black ink. The letters clearly telling him Ethan had inherited the disease. Cal shook his head a couple of times just to make sure he was reading it correctly. He too was silent and then realised what Ethan had done for their mum. Cal looked up with tears falling down his cheeks and he caught the back of Ethan as he walked away from him. Cal wanted to go after him, to call out, to say he wasn't alone but he couldn't. He couldn't move. He just let his brother walk away from. Cal knew it probably wasn't a good idea to let Ethan go off on his own after finding out but what could he do? He was powerless. He felt useless.

Minutes later an ambulance arrived. Iain and Jez jumped out and saw the somber scene in front of them. Iain and Jez ran over to Cal who still held Emilie's lifeless body in his arms.

"I'm so sorry, mate." Iain whispered.

The three of them loaded Emilie's body into the back of the other ambulance.

"You guys go ahead." Cal said. "I need to find Ethan."

The two paramedics nodded and got back into the ambulance. As Cal watched the ambulance drive off he wondered where his brother could have gone. He looked around the beach and soon spotted a figure down by the sea just standing as the waves crashed in. Ethan was lost in his own thoughts when he felt an arm around his shoulders.

"You okay?" Cal asked. "Sorry stupid question."

"I've got it. I've got the gene, Cal." Ethan choked out. "What am I going to do?"

"You are not going to do anything. Because you are not going to face this on your own. I'm going to be here to support you every step of the way. We are going to go through this together. You won't be on your own, Nibbles." Cal told him.

"What you did back there was one of the most selfless acts I've ever seen." Cal said as the two of them headed back to the hijacked ambulance.

"Well, I couldn't let mum die blaming herself." Ethan replied.

Cal smiled at his brother as they got into the ambulance and drove off back to the hospital. Entering through the doors they were met by Connie and Charlie. When they saw them both Cal and Ethan would have expected Connie to give them a lecture about how irresponsible they had been by hijacking the ambulance but, the expressions on her face as well as Charlie's told them they must know about what had just happened at the beach.

"Would you two please come into my office?" Connie asked.

Cal and Ethan followed behind Charlie as they entered Connie's office.

"We are so sorry to hear what has happened." Connie began. "You have our support and you may take however long you need to grieve for your loss."

"Thank you, Connie." Cal responded.

Connie was about to carry on the conversation when Ethan suddenly turned around and exited the room. Both Charlie and Connie looked at each other confused while Cal sadly watch Ethan walk into the staffroom.

"Is there anything else you would like to tell us?" Connie asked after witnessing Ethan's sudden exit.

"We um opened our results from the genetics lab." Cal said. "And um Ethan's got the disease."

Cal said the last bit so quietly Connie and Charlie both thought they had misheard what he had said. But one look at Cal told them they had indeed heard correctly.

"Oh, Cal…." Charlie commented.

Cal couldn't respond. He didn't know what to say. Sensing this wasn't a good time to mention about the ambulance incident Connie gave Cal permission to leave the office. Nodding slightly Cal left and went in the direction of the staff room where he found Ethan on the sofa still lost in his own thoughts. Cal approached his brother and sat down beside him. He was taken back when Ethan collapsed into him and all his emotions he had been holding in came pouring out. Cal's heart broke as he saw his brother so upset. He sneaked an arm around his shoulder and brought him into an embrace.

"It's okay, Eth. I'm here. I'm here." Cal repeated while he rubbed Ethan's back.

"I can't deal with this." Ethan sobbed. "I can't do this."

"You don't have to do this." Cal said. "Remember what I said."

"I don't have to go through this alone."

"Exactly. You don't and you won't. I'll be here. I promise. We'll go through this together." Cal told him. "You are not alone."

Ethan pulled away from the embrace and looked at Cal. He saw Cal's own eyes shining with tears and knew Cal meant every word he said. He would not have to go through this on his own. Ethan knew he would always have his brother's support and they would face the unknown together.

"Thank you." Ethan smiled at Cal.

"Hey, I'm your brother. That's what brothers are for." Cal smiled in return.

Ethan returned the hug and felt Cal wrap his arms around his waist.

"I'll always be here for you, Eth." Cal whispered into his brother's ear.


	2. Chapter 2

After Connie had told them to go home early Ethan had gone to bed as soon as they entered the flat. All Cal wanted to do was take away the hurt Ethan was feeling and if he could switch places with his brother Cal would in a heartbeat. Sensing there was nothing to do Cal too went to bed. It was during the middle of the night Cal awoke to the sounds of screaming and banging. Instantly his brotherly instincts arose in him and he jumped out of bed rushing towards Ethan's bedroom. Upon arriving at the bedroom door Cal could hear cries coming from within. Opening the door he could just make out Ethan's silhouette thrashing about in the bed. Switching on the lights Cal saw Ethan waving his arms and legs about while getting tangled up in the sheets. Grabbing his brother's arms in an attempt to stop him from hurting himself Cal pulled Ethan into his arms.

"Sssh. It's okay, Nibbles." Cal soothed.

Ethan jolted awake and at first was a bit confused of his whereabouts. But he soon realised where he was and became comforted by Cal's arms around him. Relaxing back into the embrace Ethan closed his eyes.

"I was thinking about earlier." Ethan said.

"What about earlier?" Cal asked.

"What you said about us going through this together. I can't let you sacrifice your life. You've already done that with mum, I can't let you do that with me. You've got your whole life ahead of you. I can't be the one who keeps you from living it."

"Ethan, you're my brother. How can you possibly think I'll let you go through this on your own?"

" I don't want to be a burden to you."

Cal couldn't believe what Ethan was saying.

"You'll never be a burden. Whatever we face we face together as brothers. Because that's what we are. We're brothers and always will be."

"But, Cal I can't let you ruin your life because of me."

"What are you trying to say?" Cal inquired now scared what Ethan was talking about.

"We all know what's too come. I don't want to live a life where every day is an uncertainty of not knowing when the symptoms will start to develop. Therefore, I have made up my mind and I need you to help me."

Cal's chest tightened. He realised what Ethan was telling him but, he didn't want to accept it.

"Are you asking me to help you die?" Cal asked, still not quite registering Ethan's request.


	3. Chapter 3

Ethan didn't respond. He didn't need to. He knew Cal knew what he was asking him to do. When Cal didn't receive an answer from his brother he understood Ethan was asking him to help him to die. Cal pulled away from Ethan and looked him straight in the eyes.

"Ethan, don't ask me to do this. You're not thinking straight. Maybe we should leave this for a couple of days, weeks even." Cal said, trying to get him to see sense.

Ethan shook his head.

"No, don't tell me I'm not thinking straight. I am thinking straight. I still have the capability to make my own decisions and this is what I'm deciding. I don't want to wait."

Tears began to form in Cal's eyes at his brother's request.

"Please, Eth." Cal begged. "I can't do this."

"But, it's not your choice." Was all Ethan replied.

"Do you think it's easy for me? My own brother, my little brother asking me to help kill him."

"Easy? You think this is easy for me? You're not the one who has to worry about when the symptoms are going to start developing. You're not the one who's going to be constantly worrying whether every unusual behaviour is the start of the end."

"I'm sorry, Ethan. I didn't mean like that. And you're right. I may not be the one who's going to be worried every second of the day, but I am your brother. You don't have to nor are you going to go through this alone. I promise I'll be here to support you every step of the way."

"You don't get it, do you?" Ethan sighed, frustratedly.

Cal looked at him with confusion in his eyes.

"I don't get what?" Cal asked.

"I don't want your help."

Silence lingered between the two brothers for a few minutes. Cal was shocked. He couldn't believe Ethan was trying to push him away.

"What about doing this together as brothers?" Cal reminded Ethan. "If I promised to not shut you out you shouldn't do the same to me, Ethan."

"Why?" Ethan said. "You'll run away before the symptoms start to become worse, like you always do. I know you, Cal. That's what you're like."

"No...no, don't say that." Cal pleaded. "Yes, I may have done so in the past, but I would never do that to you."

Ethan faced him with a knowing look.

"And why would I be different?"

"Because you're my brother and you're family."

"Yeah, well what about our adoptive mum? Little Matilda? They were family too."

"That was different."

"How?"

"Well, Matilda wasn't actually family. She wasn't actually my daughter."

"Yes, but you still loved her as your daughter. And you were clearly scared for her when she was admitted to hospital. But, what about our adoptive mum?"

Cal sighed. He knew he didn't have an answer about why this time would be different, but somehow he knew it would.

"Look, Ethan. I don't know what it is, but I promise you this time I won't run away. The thought of losing you hurts me more than I can say and I don't want that to happen. I've already lost two mums and a daughter. Don't make me lose a brother too."

"I can't let you give up your entire life just for me. I won't let you."

"Well, I'm afraid you've got no choice. I'm going to be here whether you like it or not. I'll do everything I can. I just want you to be happy."

"If you want to make me happy then let me go." Ethan told him as tears formed in his eyes.

Ethan knew his request was heart wrenching for Cal to accept but, being the thoughtful person he was, always thinking about others before himself Ethan couldn't let Cal give up his life for him.

"Ethan..." Cal said, tears rolling down his cheeks. " I can't."

"It's my choice."


End file.
